Bottle-capping machine



Aug. l25, 1925;

1,550,741 H. R. PaNKERToN B'TLE CAPPING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 3l, 1923 ail l i Il (ff f A i INVENTOR H fpm/fm?? TON i BY ToRNEY 1 @Smvmfemm w To R mr m n 4 mm .M 7 n 0, e .n 5 m Nw 5.. .Y H 1l t A. w .H. m, ...I3 www M/ Tm 5 R 1 4 Em K1 7 www w Puh A.Wushu U//.///,//, mm HmF 5 M /r 5. 5 2 0 l w y 2 M mi 54@ 5 l 6 4 f 2 4,9/ a, W 2 e u A Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES HAROLD R. PINKERTON, OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

PATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINE.

Application filed July 31, 1923. Serial No. 654,813.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD R. PINKER- TON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yakima, Yakima County, Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Capping Machines, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle capping machines, and more particularly to a machine for automatically applying caps over the ends of milk bottles, as distinguished from machines that insert the disks within the mouths of bottles.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a machine of the above character that is adapted to be applied to any of the standard milk bottle filling and capping machines without alteration in the arrangement or construction of their parts and which does not change the mode of operation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine wherein the caps are fed into the machine from tubes wherein they are kept free from dirt and in a sanitary condition and are automatically delivered to and placed on the bottles without the necessity of an attendant handling or touching them or the bottles while they are being applied.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of bottle and cap centering cones which insures proper application of the caps to the bottles.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front view of a bottle capping device constructed according to the present invention; one unit of which is shown in vertical section for better illustrating the centering cones and capping plunger head.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 4, showing the parts in cap applying position and in dotted lines, in raised position.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the machine.

Figure 5 is a sectional, detail view, taken through the capping plunger guide and centering cones after the bottle has entered the cones but before the cap has been applied.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the centering cones in open position.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

l and 2, respectively, designate stationary, spaced apart, vertical standards, or rods, whereon a guide block 3 is secured and which may be held in different positions of adjustment by means of set screws 4 that are threaded therethrough and at their ends seat within sockets 5 in the standards. EX- tended slidably through the block 3, centrally between the standards 1 and 2, is a vertical capper actuating shaft 6 that may be reciprocated, by any suitable means, not herein illustrated. At its upper end it has a forwardly extending bracket 7 fixed thereon and which may be held at different positions of adjustment by means of a plate 8 that is fixed by bolts 9 to the bracket and which has an end adapted to seat within notches 10 formed in the shaft 6.

Slidably mounted, so that they may move vertically between guide arms 11 formed as a part of block 3 are bottle capping devices, designated in their entirety by numerals 12. These devices are suspended from the bracket 7 by means of vertical rods 13 and 14 that are vertically slidable in the bracket and which have collars 15 xed to their upper ends that limit their downward movement. Each capping device comprises a capper guide cylinder 16 coaxially alined with the rods 13 and 14, respectively, and integrally formed tube holders 17 of cylindrical form whereinto the lower ends of cap containing tubes 18 are removably mounted and from which the bottle caps 19 may feed by gravity into the lower ends of the holders, from which they are fed by reciprocating feed blocks 20 through openings 21, (Figure 3) into the lower ends of cylinders 16.

Formed integral with the cylinders 16, at their opposite sides, are vertical guide standards 24 that t slidably in guide slots 25 in the arms of the block 3, and which are connected across the tops of the cylinders by means of guide bars 26 through which the lower ends of rods 13 and 14 extend, and threaded onto the lower ends of the said rods, and slidable in cylinders 16 are capping heads 27 whereby the caps are pressed into the bottles.

The upper surfaces of these heads engage the cross heads 26 when the shaft 6 moves upwardly and thereby lift the capping devices off the bottles.

The caps intended to be used in this machine are best illustrated in Figure 3, and each comprises a central corking portion 2S that seats within the neck of the bottle and against a supporting shoulder therein, and has an apron 29 adapted to enclose the flange about the mouth of the bottle. The capping heads 27 are especially designed for these caps and each has a concentric eXten sion 3() on its under surface adapted to fit within the corking portion of the caps and has an annular shoulder 31 adapted tou press against the upper portion of the apron to press the apron over the flange of the bottle. The under surfaces of the extension 30 and shoulder 31 are formed spherically as shown and there is a channel 32 leading from the top of the head to the under side so that air may escape as the head is moved downwardly against the cap and may enter when the head is raised olf the cap.

Fixed to the rods 13 and 14 are yokes 33 each with forwardly directed arms 34 connected pivotally at their ends with short, downwardly7 hanging links 35 provided at their lower ends with studs 36 that move within arcuate slots 37 formed in the lat-- c-rally directed arms 38 of bell cranks 3) that are pivotally mounted on the opposite sides of cylinders 17 by bolts 40; the said bell cranks having downwardly extending arms 41 connected by means of links 42 with the opposite sides of the cap feed blocks 20. This construction provides that, as the rods 13 and 14 are moved downwardly by downward movement of bracket 7 and shaft (i, the yokes 83 through the connecting links 35, actuate the bell cranks to move feed blocks 30 outwardly. Then, when the yokes are moved upwardly, the bell cranks are actuated to move the blocks inwardly and feed the caps into the cylinders 16 beneath the capping heads 27. The slots in crank arms 3S are provided in order to permit a certain desired idle movement.

Fixed to the base ends of the cylinders 16 and 17 by bolts 43 are plates 44 providing forwardly extending guides 45 on which the feed blocks 2O are slidably mounted and which are provided, in registration with the cylinders 1G, with openings 46 wherein the cap and bottle centering` cones 43-43 are located. These are arranged in pairs and are of semi-circular form and are supported horizontally, in such manner that they may be moved apart and closed together, by means of pins 47-47 that are extended through their end portions as shown in Figures 3 and 6. These cones are provided on upper and lower sides, respectively, with conically inclined surfaces 48 and 49; the upper surfaces being formed so that they will lie in the surface of a cone when closed together, as shown in Figure 1, and the lower surfaces will lie in the surface of a cone when the parts are spread apart, as shown in Figure 6. This provision is made in order that when caps are fed into cylinders 16 they will be dropped onto the upper surfaces of the centering cones, which are then in closed position, and they will cause the caps to be located centrally therein. Then when the cones are lowered against the bottles, as presently described, the under surfaces will lit about the mouth flange of the bottle.

Each section of the centering cones has an upwardly directed linger 52 lined thereto provided at its upper end with a hook These lingers are disposed normally within recesses 54 formed in the outer side surfaces of the cylinders 1G and the hooked ends slidably engage with the inner surfaces of the supporting block 3 and thereby retain the cone sections in closed together relation.

then the capping devices are moved downwardly so that the under surfaces 49 of the cones engage the mouth of a bottle, the sections are thereby spread apart and the hooked ends of lingers 52 are moved into notches 5G in the guide block 3 and the capping devices are thereby held against any farther downward movement, but the shaft G continues to move downward, and thereby advances the capping heads 27 downwardly within their cylinders and these press the caps 19 over the mouths of the bottles, as shown in Figure 3. During this operation, the cones guide the cap onto the bottle and center the bottles to properly receive the caps thereon.

In order that the caps may be pressed securely onto the bottles, even though there be a. variation in the heights of different bottles, I have placed coiled springs 60 about the rods 13 and 14 that press against the yokes 33 and bracket 7. In this way necessary slippage between these. rods and bracket 7 is provided for and at the saine time suilicient capping pressure can be applied to the heads 27.

Assuming that the parts are so constructed and are assembled described, operation of the device would be as follows:

The caps, of the special forni illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, are placed in itubes 1S and these are inserted into the tube holders 17 so that the caps will feed downwardly by gravity. lVhen the parts are in raised position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bottles are moved into position directly benealth the centering cones. Then shaft 6 moves the entire capping mechanism 12 downwardly until centering cones engage with the bottles and are thereby spread apart so that the hooked ends of fingers engage in the notches 56 thereby stopping farther downward movement of the capping devices. However the capping heads 27 continue to move downwardly and en gage with the caps previously fed into the cylinders 16 and press the latter onto the bottles. rlChen, as the shaft 6 moves upwardly, heads 27 are lifted free ofthe bottles and raise the capping devices by their engagement with cross heads 26. As the rods 13 and 14 are raised, the yokes 33 operate bell cranks 39 to feed caps into the cylinders for the next operation.

l. In a bottle capping machine, a vertically reciprocable capper base having a bottle receiving opening, a guide cylinder on the base registering with the bottle receiving opening, means operable to deliver caps for the bottles into the guide cylinder, a capping` head reciprocally movable in said guide cylinder, actuating means for the head adapted, through its connection therewith, to raise and lower the capper base from and into capping relation with bottles advanced thereto and bottle centering means. in said capper base opening comprising members that are movable upon engagement with a bottle, means operable by movement of the centering means to prevent farther downward movement of the base, but permitting a continuing advance of the capper head that will apply the cap to the bottle.

2. In a bottle capping machine, a vertically reciprocable capper base having a bottle receiving opening, a guide cylinder on the base registering with the bottle receiving opening, means operable to deliver bottle caps into the Q'nide cylinder, a capping head reciprocally movable in said guide cylinder, an actuating rod for the head adapted, through its connection therewith to raise and lower the capper base from and into capping relation with bottles advanced thereto and bottle centering means in said capper base opening comprising two relatively eXpandible sections having upwardly facing conically tapered surfaces adapted to center caps for application to the bottles and having downwardly facing conically tapered surfaces engageable with and adapted to center the bottles with respect to the caps and capping mechanism, and fingers connected with said expandible sections adapted, by expanding movement of the latter, to be moved into engagement with a stationary part of the machine to prevent fanther downward movement of the base, but permitting a continuing advance movement of the capper head that will apply the caps to the bottles.

3. In a botrtle capping machine, in combination, a capper member having an opening, means operable to apply caps to bottles through said opening and centering means located in said opening comprising relatively movable complemental ring sections having upwardly facing conically tapered surfaces lying within the surface of a cone when the sections are together and adapted to receive the caps thereon to center them with respect to the cap applying mechanism and having downwardly facing conically tapered surfaces on their under sides for engagement by the bottles and adapted rto lie within the surface of a cone when expanded by such engagement and to center the bottles with respect to the capping mechanism.

4. ln a bottle capping machine of the character described in combination, a reciprocally movable capper base having a bottle receiving opening, a cap containing magazine and a guide cylinder on said base, means operable to deliver caps into the cylinder and a. capping head reciprocably movable in said guide cylinder to apply the caps and bottle centering means in said capper base opening comprising two relatively eXpandible ring sections having upwardly facing conically tapered surfaces lying within the surface of a cone when the sections are together and adapted to receive the caps thereon to center them within the receiving opening and having downwardly facing conically tapered surfaces lying within the surface of a cone when in expanded relation and adapted to receive the bottles therein to center them with respect to the capping mechanism.

5. A bottle capping machine comprising in combination, a stationary guide, a capper base vertically reciprocable in said guide having' a bottle receiving opening, a cap containing magazine on said base, a guide cylinder on the base registering with the bottle receiving opening, means operable to deliver caps from the magazine into the guide cylinder, a capping head reciprocally movable in said guide cylinder, an actuating rod for the head adapted through its connection therewith to raise and lower the capper base from and into capping relation with bottles advanced thereto and bottle centering means in said capper base opening comprising relatively movable ring sections, hooked members connected with the said sections and adapted to engage with the stationary guide upon expansion of said sections to limit farther downward movement of the capper base to provide for a continuing movement of the capper head that will apply the cap and for actuating of the feed mechanism to deliver a cap into the guide cylinder.

6. A. bottle capping machine comprising in combination, a stationary guide, a capper base vertically reciprocable in said guide having a bottle receiving opening, a cap containing magazine on said base, a guide cylinder on the base registering with the bottle receiving opening, a slide for feeding caps from the magazine into the guide cylinder, a capping head reciprocally movable in the guide cylinder, a reciprocating rod for the head adapted through its connection therewith to raise and lower the capper base, bottle centering means in said capper base opening comprising two rino' sections having fingers extended therefrom and hooks on said fingers, said sections having conically tapered surfaces engageable with the bottle to center the same with respect to the capper and having upwardly facing conical surfaces for centering the caps with respect to the bottle; said sections being expandible upon engagement with the bottle to engage the hooked lingers with the stationary guide to check farther downward movement of the capper base to thereby provide for a continuing advance movement of the capper head for applying the cap and for the actuation of the feed mechanism on the following upward movement of the capping head actuating rod.

Signed at Yakima, Yakima County, lVashington, this 6th day of June, 1923.

HAROLD R. PINKERTON. 

